Preparation

Bring sugar and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan; stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour off all but 1 cup simple syrup; refrigerate remaining syrup for another use.

Heat syrup in pan almost to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Add cranberries and simmer until they just begin to burst, 2-3 minutes. Let cool in syrup.

Place 2 tablespoons drained cranberries and 6 tablespoons cranberry syrup in a large pitcher. Add lemon wedges and orange slices. Using a muddler or wooden spoon, vigorously mash fruit. Stir in gin and Sherry. Let steep for 5 minutes.

Strain into a medium pitcher. Fill 3 glasses with crushed ice. Pour half of mixture into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice; shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into prepared glasses, then mound with more crushed ice. Garnish each with a mint sprig and 3 cranberries. Repeat to make 3 more cocktails.

Made this twice, once exactly as written and once using frozen blackberries (1 week before they had cranberries in the store!). Both were good - although to be honest, I suspect most peope would be fine with just using cranberry juice. THe blackberry version tasted like jam, which I liked but some might not care for it.